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Tangent to a circle at a point
Geometry construction using a compass and straightedge
This shows how to construct the
tangent to a circle at a given point on the circle with compass and straightedge or ruler. It works by using the fact that a tangent to a circle is
perpendicular
to the
radius
at the point of contact. It first creates a radius of the circle, then
constructs the perpendicular bisector
of the radius at the given point.
Printable step-by-step instructions
The above animation is available as a
printable step-by-step instruction sheet, which can be used for making handouts
or when a computer is not available.
Try it yourself
Click here for a printable tangents problem worksheet with some problems to try.
When you get to the page, use the browser print command to print as many as you wish. The printed output is not copyright.
Constructions pages on this site
Lines
Angles
Triangles
Triangle Centers
Circles, Arcs and Ellipses
Polygons
Non-Euclidean constructions
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